Welcome to
Newton Farm Nursery, Infant & Junior School
REC-ELM
Role of excellence goes to...
Agamjot, for winning the Happy Feet, Healthy Heart competition
Over the past 2 weeks, Elm class has been captivated as they observed chicks hatch from eggs, witnessing the incredible journey of life unfold. Through a series of engaging activities, they've not only delved into the life-cycle of chicks and spring; but also developed and strengthened a variety of crucial skills. They've expanded their vocabulary and understanding of the different stages of the chick life-cycle, utilised various materials to craft chick life-cycle booklets, and honed their fine motor skills through intricate crafting. Additionally, they've sharpened their observational skills by identifying signs of Spring and developed an awareness of seasonal changes. They've also engaged in sorting activities to comprehend the characteristics of different seasons and expressed their creativity by baking and decorating cupcake flowers. Furthermore, they've deepened their understanding of plants by labelling parts of a plant and expanded their plant-related vocabulary. It's been an enriching journey of discovery and skill development!
Reception students have had a fantastic beginning to the Summer term - diving into the world of minibeasts! Over the past two weeks, Elm class have witnessed caterpillars undergo a metamorphosis into butterflies. Through a variety of engaging activities, they've not only learned about these creatures but also developed a range of essential skills. They’ve learnt new vocabulary and the different stages of the butterfly life-cycle; used different pasta shapes to create the life-cycles of a butterfly; made their own butterfly booklets; developed their fine motor skills with observational drawings; created their own caterpillars and working on their cutting skills; recapped their knowledge of 2D-shapes when making their minibeasts; learnt about the importance of bees and made honey flapjacks.
Elm class had an exciting start to Spring 2! Our week kicked off with an electrifying jamming session led by Oury and Ian from Wuntanara, where we immersed ourselves in the rhythmic beats of the African drums. Exploring where they came from, how they’re made and the notes they produce. The African drums left us amazed. We then ended the week on a fascinating adventure to the London Aquarium. In the middle of the mesmerising marine life, including sharks, turtles, crocodiles, snakes, jellyfish, and penguins, Elm class absorbed a wealth of knowledge about where the animals lived and what they ate.Transitioning seamlessly into Week 3, we immersed ourselves in the heart of the rainforest, transforming our reception into an ultimate camping experience. We pitched tents and drank hot chocolate with s'mores by the crackling campfire.
What an excellent spring term we’ve had in Elm class. There have been some wonderful learning opportunities. These include: ice painting and looking at the signs of winter; international week (learning about Ghana with a guest speaker and cooking jollof rice), dressing up for Children in Need, celebrating the Sri Lankan New Year festival - Pongal; and finally learning about the Finnish New Year meting metal tradition (plus using the VR-headsets to look at the Northern lights and the snowy mountains in Finland). It has been an exciting half term, but the next half-term gets even better!
To kick start the festivities, reception went to see Father Christmas at the theatre. They really enjoyed the show. Next the children decorated and wrote their own Christmas cards to their family. We then took a short trip to the letter box - we hope they get to our families before the big day. We also sang to our families at the EYFS Christmas Concert, wore Christmas jumpers, had Christmas dinner, watched the teachers acting in the staff panto and finally had a Christmas party. It has been a pleasure teaching you this term Elm Class. Keep up the good work and I look forward to all the fun and learning we’ll be doing next
This week in Elm class we celebrated Diwali. The children looked at how Diwali is celebrated by people who follow the Hindu religion. First we started by cleaning the classroom and making Rangoli patterns to bring us good luck. Then we looked at different artefacts that are displayed in homes during Diwali; and finally made our own Diya lamps.
To kick start Happy Feet, Healthy Heart week (and finishing off our Black History topic), the children made pumpkin soup. Before prepping, they explored the raw vegetables (including butternut squash, sweet potato, yam, cho cho) and used their senses to describe them. Each child took part in preparing the vegetables. Once it was all cooked the children took their seats in a “Jamaican restaurant” and enjoyed their meal with their friends. In addition, the children received scooter training and took a bus ride to a park. We were supposed to go on a tube ride to Wembley stadium. However, due to signal failure we decided to take a bus ride to a park. Not only did this change in plans demonstrate the resilience of Elm class, it was another opportunity to work on our physical and mental health.
This week in Elm Class we have been celebrating Black History Month. In literacy we were reading Coming to England by Floella Benjamin. We had a lot of fun listening to the story, looking at the different settings and acting out the main scenes. For their superhero challenges, the children have focused on the Caribbean country of Jamaica - looking at the flag, traditional food (rice and peas) and decorating a carnival mask. Finally, we had a brilliant discussion around our topic question “Why is it important to be kind to everyone?”. Some of the children's comments were “being kind to everyone is respectful”; “we have to be a respect–saurus and use kind words”; “being unkind makes people feel upset”; and “it doesn’t matter if we look different, we are all unique”.
Elm Class has settled in well to life at Newton Farm. Over the last two weeks, not only have they been making friends and beginning to understand the routines; but they have had their first two weeks of lessons. They’ve learnt new vocabulary and sounds, in phonics and discussed what maths is and why we learn it. Our topic has been ‘Unique Me’. Through a number of Superhero challenges and continuous provision, the children have explored their Rights and looked at what makes them unique.
